source file: mills2.txt Date: Sun, 5 Nov 1995 14:48:24 -0800 Subject: Re: Transcendental Numbers From: bf250@freenet.carleton.ca (John Sankey) Gary Morrison <71670.2576@compuserve.com asks " What the bloody hell is a transcendental number?! " Another definition is that it's a number that can not be calculated by any finite number of arithmetic operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide), i.e. it's one with an infinite number of terms in *any* series expansion (not just Taylor). In other words, the decimals go on forever without repeating with *any* pattern; this lack of pattern is not a lack of knowledge, but a logical impossibility. It's a very useful mathematical concept, but, pace Brian, I think he takes the notion beyond the limits of any practical tuning into the metaphysical. In fact, if you apply his comments about Bach's tuning to the post you refer to, he agrees! -- John Sankey bf250@freenet.carleton.ca Music is Beauty, Beauty is Truth, Truth is Freedom Received: from eartha.mills.edu [144.91.3.20] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Mon, 6 Nov 1995 01:26 +0100 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id PAA11587; Sun, 5 Nov 1995 15:26:56 -0800 Date: Sun, 5 Nov 1995 15:26:56 -0800 Message-Id: <199511052326.PAA11434@eartha.mills.edu> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu